Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Overview

The X1 Carbon is the second Ultrabook that we’ve seen that is built on a carbon fiber chassis. Screen resolution is 1600×900 and is said to be wide-angle, but not IPS. The screen itself is matt which is great for outdoor usage.
The ThinkPad Precision Keyboard looks very much the same as the one we’re testing in the U300S right now but it has the touchpoint button, a fingerprint reader and the Thinkpad style mouse buttons. It will be backlit too. RapidCharge and 3G/4G options will be available.
Pricing has not been made public but this is clearly going to be a device that extends will into the $2K range. As far as we can tell, Lenovo did not announce any Ivy Bridge update for the existing X1. Availability: Summer 2012

CPU details are under embargo which makes sense if it’s a true Ultrabook but expect similar options to other devices across the i3, i5 and i7 range. Storage will be 128Gb or 256GB SSD. Lenovo also announced a USB 3.0 docking station. We suspect that will be similar to the Toshiba Dynadock USB 3.0 and a fairly universal product.

Samsung NP350, 12.5", 1352gmA very well rounded Ultrabook alternative. This hard-disk based laptop is available with Core i3 and Core i5 (mobile, not ultra-low voltage CPUs) and offers very similar battery life and performance figures to a standard ultrabook. The boot and program start times are slower than an Ultrabook though. Not available in all regions and pricing varies. In some areas the Core i3 version can be a real bargain.

Inhon Blade 13 Carbon, 13.3", 870gmTaiwanese company Inhon has introduced the Blade 13 Carbon Ultrabook with dimensions that make it the thinnest and lightest Ultrabook available, taking the throne from the NEC LaVie Z.
Coming in at 1.9lbs (870g) and 10.7mm thin the Blade 13 Carbon beats the NEC by 5g and 2mm while still packing specs comparable to any current Ultrabook. Options include Core i5 or i7 CPU, 13″ 1080p screen, 128 or 256GB SSD and 4GB RAM. Pricing is quoted at $1,350 with a lower priced option with a 1600×900 screen and fiberglass body with still impressive dimensions of 2.6lbs (1,195g) and 12.6mm for about $1000.

Toshiba Portege Z830, 13.3", 1120gmThe Toshiba Satellite/Portege Z830/Z835 is turning out to be one of the best specified 13" Ultrabooks so far. It has a leading 1.1KG weight, aluminium casing and a great range of ports and features. The features match its business-like looks. Wi-Di is included for those looking at wireless 1080p to TVs. The price is competitive. Watch out for: Noisy fan in quiet environments, slightly 'squishy' keyboard. Z835 is the US-only Core i3 model.

Dell XPS 13, 13.3", 1400gmAvailable as an updated Ivy Bridge build now the XPS 13 is a quality bit of kit. Unfortunately it only has a 720P HD screen rather than 1600x900 or FullHD so that might put some people off. We'd love to see an update of this with a 1600x900 touchscreen.

Toshiba Portege Z930, 13.3", 1120gmThe upgrade to the Z830 takes the same lightweight chassis and adds the 3rd generation Core processor and a faster SSD. This will be available in various version around the world with up to 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD and UMTS/WiMax options. The screen resolution remains the same which is dissapointing but given that the Z830 was an excelent Ultrabook, the Z930 will still be able to compete.

Acer Aspire S5, 13.3", 1200gmThe S5 is an advanced Ultrabook design from Acer that forms their high-end offering for Q2 and Q3 2012. The Acer S3 continuess to be the 'value' Ultrabook. Full SSD, a Thunderbolt port, very thin design and hidden 'magic flip' port bay are key features.

NEC LaVie Z, 13.3", 875gmThis is the NEC LaVie Z Ultrabook with a weight of stunning 999g. It features an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5/i7 and has a resolution of 1600x900. The NEC LaVie Z joins the sub-1-kilo Ultrabook club by using an magnesium-lithium alloy for the body. There is also an i7-3517U clocked at 1.9GHz version.